Rio Tinto Stadium Unveils Auric Solar Installation

Nov 09, 2015 09:56AM
● By Bryan Scott

Rio Tinto Stadium, the home of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake as well as the USL Real Monarchs, unveiled the State of Utah’s largest privately-owned solar array at the world-class Sandy venue, RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen joined by the region›s business and political leaders in flipping the switch to activate the system, in partnership with Auric Solar and Rocky Mountain Power.

Rio Tinto Stadium’s 2,020-kilowatt system of solar panels installed on the existing stadium structure as well as new covered parking areas nearby are now operational to offset 73 percent of Real Salt Lake’s total annual stadium power needs - the largest offset in North American professional sports and entertainment venues. The ambitious project was initiated back in April and took six months to complete.

“We have partnered with both Rocky Mountain Power and Auric Solar to increase our power efficiency while hosting more than 50 massive events each year in Sandy,” said RSL and Monarchs Owner Dell Loy Hansen, whose venue hosts both the United States and Mexico on Saturday and Tuesday in the Semifinals and Finals for CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying. “The new solar covered parking structures have improved the quality of parking options for our nearly 16,000+ season ticket holders and provide our State and the surrounding environment with the largest solar energy offset for any U.S. professional sports venue.”

The environmental impact of the new solar array carries the carbon-dioxide reduction equivalent of removing 450 cars from the road or planting 47,278 trees annually, while providing enough power to light and heat 284 homes for a calendar year.

94 percent of the system installed on new solar-covered parking structures (South, South West and North of venue)

System will offset 73 percent of the stadium’s power needs, the LARGEST solar offset for any professional sports stadium in North America

Rio Tinto Stadium now boasts the 4th-largest solar array of any professional sports stadium in the U.S.

No. 5: FedEx Field, 2,000 kW (Landover, Md.)

No. 4: Rio Tinto Stadium, 2,024 kW (Salt Lake City, Utah)

No. 3: Pocono Raceway, 3,000 kW (Blakeslee, Pa.)

No. 2: Lincoln Financial Field, 3,000 kW (Philadelphia, Pa.)

No. 1: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 9,000 kW (Speedway, Ind.)

Rio Tinto Stadium will now own the largest solar array in Major League Soccer - more than double the size of Gillette Stadium’s 1,000 kW array in Foxborough, Massachusetts)

“This project has positioned Real Salt Lake at the forefront of energy production and conservation in all of professional sports,” said Auric Solar principal Trent Vansice. “Auric Solar is helping the club harness the power of the sun to reduce its power consumption on a grand scale. It is impressive and ambitious to see the organization’s commitment to the community and environment.”

Nearly 95 percent of the solar array (made up of 6,423 solar panels) has been installed on new solar-covered parking structures, including an entirely new parking lot on the north side of the stadium. Covering the equivalent of 3.10 acres, the aggregation of the panels would cover 2.3 American football fields, 1.3 FIFA regulation soccer fields, extending 7.9 miles or 41,500 feet if stacked end-to-end.

“Auric Solar’s expertise and innovation have made them the perfect partners to convert Rio Tinto Stadium toward energy self-sufficiency in the venue’s seventh year, while also improving our fan experience with the addition of covered and lit parking,” said Andrew Carroll , Chief Business Officer for Real Salt Lake. “Our unique ability to assist Auric Solar in building brand awareness, both locally and across the industry, makes this partnership fully-integrated, mutually-beneficial, and uniquely symbiotic. The entire Auric team - led by founders Trent Vansice and Jess Phillips - consists of great people, providing all of the ingredients for an exceptional long-term partnership.”

Auric Solar originally started out of a garage in South Jordan, Utah, in 2010 and has quickly become the largest solar provider in Utah. Auric Solar is also one of the fastest growing in the country with an average year over year growth of 173 percent. This was accomplished by focusing on customer experience, quality, timeliness, and providing a financially responsible way to switch to solar power. Auric Solar is now the most positively reviewed solar provider in the U.S. by solarreviews.com. Headquartered in Midvale, Utah, the company has expanded to service all of Utah and Idaho. For more information, visit http://www.auricsolar.com.

“Rocky Mountain Power is proud to be partners with the Rio Tinto Stadium and Real Salt Lake - two of Utah’s greatest treasures,” said Rocky Mountain Power President and CEO Cindy A. Crane on Thursday. «Our Utah Solar Incentive Program contributed $1.3 million to this impressive solar array and we look forward to it brightening the lives of all the fans and visitors who come here.»